I Took Care of My Sick Mother Until Her Last Breath, but in the End Her Will Left Me With Nothing — Story of the Day

I cared for my mother during her final days, giving up everything to stay by her side. However, when her will was read, I was left with nothing. The betrayal hurt deeply, but the truth behind her decision and the secrets that emerged changed everything I believed about my family—and myself.

I was driving to my late mother’s house, still feeling the weight of her passing pressing on my chest.

The funeral had just taken place last week, and now I was faced with handling the aftermath—the difficult, real-world choices that always seemed to fall on me.

Once again, I was the only logical person in our family, the one everyone depended on. It had been the same when Mom was ill.

I stayed with her through it all, feeding her, caring for her, making sure she wasn’t alone. I assumed she’d leave the house to me. Not Phoebe.

Phoebe was… complicated. She always had been. Unusual, unpredictable—scarred in a way that life never fully healed.

She couldn’t manage things as I could. Despite how distant we were, I couldn’t help but worry about her. She was my younger sister, after all.

Sitting beside me in the car, Dan was silent, with a faint smell of alcohol. He had promised he’d quit drinking, but the familiar scent suggested otherwise. Honestly, I was close to losing my patience.

We pulled into the driveway and parked in front of Mom’s house. Seeing it again brought a fresh ache. The lawyer I had hired was outside, holding his briefcase, waiting.

I greeted him as we stepped out. “Why aren’t you inside?” I asked.

“The door’s locked,” he answered, glancing at the house.

“Locked?” I said with a frown. “Phoebe isn’t here yet? She said she’d arrive early.”

I took out my phone and dialed her number. It went straight to voicemail.

Her phone was off. Excellent, I thought, shoving the device into my pocket. I didn’t have the keys either.

Dan, behind me, shook his head. “Your sister, as usual. She needs someone to watch over her or something,” he muttered.

I told him, “She’ll be here soon.” I shot him a serious look, warning him not to say more.

A few minutes later, I saw Phoebe walking up the driveway. Her hair was messy, and mascara streaked beneath her eyes. She looked exhausted.

“Rough night, huh?” I asked, crossing my arms.

She offered a weak smile. “Is it that obvious?”

“Get yourself together. The lawyer’s waiting,” I said, gesturing toward the house.

“Oh, please,” she scoffed, brushing past me. “We all know the house will be yours. You’re the perfect daughter, remember?”

I clenched my jaw but stayed silent. I understood she was struggling. Mom’s death had been difficult for her. People often said she looked just like Mom.

Inside, as the lawyer started reading the will, his voice droned on until he said a shocking statement.

“The house and all belongings go to Phoebe.”

“What?” I blurted out, staring at him. “What do you mean the house goes to Phoebe?”

“I’m just reading what’s written,” the lawyer replied calmly.

“That’s not fair!” Dan burst out. “My wife was the only one who truly cared for her mother! She didn’t do anything!” He pointed a finger at Phoebe.

Phoebe suddenly stood up, her face crumbling, and ran outside.

“Dan!” I yelled at him.

He argued back, “You know I’m right,” his voice heated.

I ignored him. I got up and followed Phoebe outside.

She sat on the backyard bench—the place Mom loved most. She looked tired, shoulders hunched, hands nervously fidgeting in her lap.

“Sorry about Dan,” I said softly as I approached her.

“It’s fine,” she responded flatly. “He’s always like that. You should leave him.”

“I can’t,” I replied, sitting beside her. “He’s my husband.”

She didn’t answer. She stared ahead, expression blank. I hesitated before speaking again. “Sell me the house,” I suggested.

“What?” Phoebe turned to look at me, surprised.

“You need money for your flower shop,” I explained, trying to sound steady. “Sell it to me. I’ll demolish and rebuild the home I’ve always wanted. I thought Mom would give it to me—”

“No,” she cut me off sharply.

“What do you mean, no?” I asked, frowning.

“I’m not selling the house to you. Mom left it to me,” she said, her voice rising.

“You didn’t do anything to deserve it!” I snapped, emotions spilling out. “I cared for her. I fed her, bathed her, paid her bills. I was there when she couldn’t walk. And still, she gave it to you because you were her favorite!”

“You have everything, Katherine!” she yelled, standing. “A good job, a husband—even if he’s bad—and tons of opportunities. You were even offered a job abroad! But you can’t make a decision! I have nothing. Just this house.”

“And I have responsibilities! Do you know why I didn’t take that job? Because I couldn’t leave you! You wouldn’t manage!”

She screamed, her face flushed, “Get out! I won’t give you the house!”

“Then I’ll take it!” I shouted back, storming off.

I wanted to forget the fight with Phoebe and leave her alone. She was right that I had everything.

I could buy another house if I wanted. But Dan wouldn’t back down. He kept urging me to contest the will, saying it was unfair and that I deserved the house.

I didn’t understand why it mattered so much to him, but his persistence wore me down.

Soon, lawyers and endless discussions about the will took over, along with meetings with Phoebe, who seemed completely indifferent—shrugging through every encounter like none of it mattered.

One evening, just days before the court hearing, I discovered something unexpected.

In Dan’s office, a pile of overdue bills and debt notices stared back at me. My stomach tightened as I looked through the papers.

He was overwhelmed by debt. I grabbed the stack and walked into the bedroom where he lay on the bed.

“Want to explain this?” I asked sharply, holding up the papers.

Dan sat up, pale-faced. “Katherine, it’s a mistake,” he quickly said.

“A mistake?” I pressed. “Do you see how much debt you’re in? Where did all this come from?”

He rubbed his face, avoiding my eyes. “We can fix this,” he said softly.

“We?” I shot back. “Is that why you pushed me to fight Phoebe for the house? So we could sell it and pay your debts?”

His frustration burst out. “She doesn’t deserve it! She’s ruining our lives! You always run to her! And you didn’t want to contest the will—despite caring for Mom!”

I felt anger rising. “Because Phoebe couldn’t handle seeing Mom like that! It broke her. Where did these debts come from, Dan?”

He sighed heavily. “Gambling,” he admitted.

“Gambling?” I repeated, stunned.

He looked guilty. “If we sell the house,” he insisted, “I’ll pay everything back. I’ll stop gambling completely. This will solve everything.”

“You mean like quitting drinking?” I asked coldly.

He didn’t answer, just looked away.

“You’re impossible,” I said, turning to leave, grabbing my keys.

I drove straight to Mom’s house—the only place I wanted to be. I rang the doorbell, and Phoebe opened almost immediately.

Her face showed annoyance as she opened the door. “What?” she asked. “Did you come to persuade me again before the court?”

“No,” I said, stepping inside. “Dan gambled away a lot of money.”

Her expression shifted from irritation to surprise. She didn’t speak, just led me to the backyard—Mom’s favorite spot.

We sat on the bench. After a moment of silence, she finally spoke. “We can sell the house and split the proceeds,” she said softly.

I shook my head. “No, I won’t do that. Mom left the house to you. It’s yours.”

“But you were going to take it from me,” she whispered, her voice gentle but accusatory.

I nodded, feeling shame creeping in. “That was just anger during the fight. Then Dan convinced me to follow through, now I understand why.”

She looked at me sadly. “You’re not paying his debts?” she asked.

“No,” I said firmly. “The only person I’d give everything for is you.”

She looked down in silence. After a pause, she said, “Sorry for yelling. I always felt like I was in your shadow. Katherine this, Katherine that. I just joked around to get attention.”

“Just like Mom,” I told her, smiling.

“Yeah,” she replied, returning my smile.

I admitted, “It was too painful for you to see her like that. Mom knew, which is why she often talked about you. She loved you more. That’s why I always felt I was in your shadow,” I said honestly.

She laughed softly. “Looks like Mom should have taken parenting lessons first.”

We both chuckled.

“What will you do now?” she asked after a moment.

“I’ll leave Dan. I’ll give you money for your flower shop. And I’ll accept that job abroad,” I answered.

She looked at me seriously. “Katherine,” she said.

“Yes?” I responded.

“I’ll be okay. And so will you,” she said gently.

“Yeah, I know,” I replied, hugging her tightly.